Warm weather might also bring a new government

Last Week in Denmark (26.04-03.05) Episode 16 Year 6

What did we learn this week?

1. More people will be able to qualify for compensation after workplace injuries. Higher insurance costs for employers.

2. All dogs and cats in the European Union will have to be microchipped and registered in connected national databases.

3. The barter economy is becoming more commonplace, pushing the tax authorities to warn against business-like bartering.

Letter from the editor

If you are reading this on your e-mail, you will notice that there are no links. To read the version with links, please look for lastweekdk.substack.com. Why? We need to do this for one more edition until we hopefully get “whitelisted” again by the Google Mail algorithm. It’s really not fun to have our weekly newsletter flagged as spam, as you have seen in the previous weeks.

Unfortunately, we need to train Gmail that our weekly newsletter is safe, as it has been for the last five years. If we fail after four editions, we will have to move our mail operation from Substack.

Spring seems to have arrived not only in the parks, but also inside Christiansborg. After weeks of political drama, negotiations are finally beginning to move toward what increasingly looks like a red-purple coalition between Mette Frederiksen’s Socialdemokratiet (Social Democrats), Moderaterne (Social Liberals), Radikale Venstre (Social Liberals), and SF (Green Left), with support from Enhedslisten (Red-Green Alliance). The biggest sign came during the May 1st speeches, when Frederiksen officially dropped the proposal for a 0,5% wealth tax on fortunes above 25 million DKK, after failing to secure enough support. At the same time, SF (Green Left) also signaled willingness to let go of the fight to restore the national holiday Store Bededag (The Great Prayer Day), showing that compromise is slowly replacing campaign slogans.

For us this matters more than it may seem at first glance. Since the election, much of the public debate has revolved around who gets to define what being “Danish” means. That conversation has helped push support toward Morten Messerschmidt and DF (Nationalist Conservative), now the largest blue (right-wing) party (2.7% increase since the elections to 11.8%).

As someone who arrived in Denmark back in 2009, I have seen several different versions of this country. I have seen a Denmark that felt open and optimistic about the world, but also periods where fear and uncertainty made the country turn inward. The truth is that Denmark has always been both at the same time. Maybe that is why so many internationals develop such a complicated relationship with this place: we fall in love with the openness, while constantly trying to navigate the walls that sometimes appear around it.

Still, one thing gives me hope. Danish politics, despite all its chaos, usually ends in compromise. And compromise, while rarely exciting, is often healthier for society than permanent political warfare. Especially in a country that increasingly depends on internationals not only to grow its economy, but also to keep its communities alive.

Thank you for reading and sharing Last Week in Denmark!

Narcis George Matache, Executive Editor, LWID

Our long-form articles this week…

1. The Unwritten Rules of Getting Hired in Denmark: An Interview with Leslea Petersen of English Job Denmark. Paulina Stachnik.

2. Tips for the Prøve I Dansk 3 Reading and Writing exam. Brooke Fossey.

3. Succeed in the Prøve I Dansk 3 Oral Exam. Brooke Fossey.

4. Don’t Lose Yourself in the Process of Integration: An interview with author Keri Bloomfield. Ali Lewis.

Want to dig deeper into the latest news? Check out the Last Week in Denmark podcast. New episodes drop on all podcast apps and YouTube every Wednesday. Follow us now so you don’t miss it.

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Image(s) of the Week

📸 A rare “dust devil” spun across the harbor in Esbjerg this week, sending sand and dust swirling high into the air.

Danish Politics HQ

New laws

🐶 The European Parliament has approved new EU-wide rules requiring all dogs and cats to be microchipped and registered in connected national databases. The goal is to crack down on illegal puppy mills and cross-border pet trafficking, a billion-euro market long criticized for poor animal welfare. The rules also introduce minimum standards for breeding, housing, feeding, and veterinary care across the EU, while banning practices like permanent cage keeping and extreme breeding traits linked to health problems.

📱 The European Union has launched a new age-verification app designed to help keep children off platforms like TikTok and Instagram. The app works like a digital ID wallet, allowing users to prove they are old enough for social media without sharing extra personal information. Countries can choose themselves whether to introduce age limits and whether to use the EU system, but Denmark is among the countries pushing hardest for stricter rules, including a possible ban for children under 15.

Political scene

🛢️ Rising oil prices are hitting rural areas especially hard, as thousands of households still rely on oil heating instead of district heating. The price of 1,000 liters of heating oil has jumped more than 26% since February, leading researchers to warn about “energy poverty” in parts of the country. Places like Læsø are among the hardest hit because many homes still use oil boilers, while switching to a heat pump can cost more than 100,000 DKK per house. Economists are now calling for greener subsidy schemes to focus more on lower-income households who cannot afford the transition on their own.

🐟 Fish farms could soon face much stricter environmental regulation after a ruling from the Østre Landsret. The court backed a decision to revoke a fish farm permit near Lolland because the environmental assessment was not considered thorough enough. Environmental groups say the ruling could force more sea-based fish farms to prove they do not damage protected marine areas. The aquaculture industry warns the decision could create wider consequences for industries operating in nature areas, including offshore wind projects, and is now considering an appeal.

🇪🇺 Ditte Juul Jørgensen has been appointed the new Director-General for Trade at the European Commission, meaning she will help lead negotiations on trade agreements and disputes with countries like the US and China. She previously worked closely with Margrethe Vestager during the EU’s battles with American tech giants.

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Daily Life in Denmark HQ

📰 Denmark remains one of the best places in the world for press freedom, ranking fourth globally in the latest Reporters Without Borders index. The report says that journalists here generally work freely, though debates around sexism in media workplaces and hostility linked to immigration coverage prevented a top-three finish. Across much of the world, however, conditions for journalists are worsening rapidly, with more countries seeing threats and even anti-terror laws used against the press.

🌳 Looking for new places to explore this spring? Check out four modern urban parks worth visiting around the country. Recommendations include the transformed Thomas B. Thriges Gade in Odense, Copenhagen’s waterfront Operaparken, Aalborg’s lively harborfront near Musikkens Hus, and the colorful Superkilen park on Nørrebro.

🏝️ Mandø has been named Denmark’s Island of the Year, beating Læsø and Bågø, with its tiny population of just 34 residents and unique location in the Wadden Sea. The island is only reachable by a gravel road during low tide, adding to its reputation as a “hidden pearl” rather than a mass tourism destination.

🔬 The biggest science talent competition for young people has crowned its winners after 100 student projects competed in the Unge Forskere finals. The senior prize went to three gymnasium students from Roskilde who designed a smarter recycling system that can identify damaged cans and recover more unreturned deposit bottles and cans. In the junior category, a 14-year-old student won with a screening tool aimed at helping detect endometriosis earlier, a painful disease that takes many women years to be diagnosed with.

🧬 More women are choosing “social freezing,” the process of freezing unfertilized eggs for non-medical reasons, as family planning increasingly happens later in life. Fertility clinics report a sharp rise in treatments after Denmark removed the old five-year storage limit in 2024, allowing eggs to remain frozen until age 46. Doctors say many women see it as a way to reduce pressure from the biological clock while waiting for the right partner or life situation.

🚲 Young people are increasingly abandoning the bicycle, with new research showing a sharp drop in how many cycle regularly to school or work. Among 15 to 19-year-olds, cycling at least three times a week has fallen by 16% since 2020. Researchers and cycling organizations warn this could weaken both public health and the cycling culture long term, as more families now rely on cars.

🎒 Starting school can feel bigger for parents than for children, according to a psychologist who has followed school transitions for more than 15 years. She warns that talking too much about how “big” and “important” school is can unintentionally create pressure and anxiety for children. Her advice is surprisingly simple: visit the school playground beforehand, give children small responsibilities at home, and spend time reading books together to build focus and familiarity with routines.

👶 A new app called Poppy is trying to reinvent the classic “mødregruppe” by matching parents based on interests and lifestyle instead of just postcode. The app was created after one couple’s municipal parent group quickly fell apart. Sociologists say the trend reflects a growing desire for emotional safety and stronger personal compatibility during early parenthood, but warn that building communities only around like-minded people could also make society more socially divided over time.

🐶 Vets are warning dog owners to stay extra alert this spring as more dogs across the country are being infected with French heartworm, a potentially deadly parasite spread by slugs and snails, which dogs may lick and then become infected.

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Danish Economics HQ

Our money

⚖️ A major Supreme Court ruling could reopen thousands of old workplace injury cases and cost insurance companies billions. The case began with a woman who suffered long-term injuries after being hit in the head by a car trunk at work in 2000. Until now, compensation was usually only granted if a person lost at least 15% of their ability to work, but the court ruled that even a 5% loss can qualify. Insurance giants like Tryg and Alm. Brand are already lowering their financial forecasts, while the state estimates the total compensation bill could reach 10–30 billion DKK if thousands of past cases are reopened.

🔄 The old-fashioned barter economy is making a comeback, especially on social media, where people swap everything from ceramics and tattoos, to plants and photography instead of using money. Supporters say it feels more sustainable and social during a time when many are watching their spending more carefully. But experts warn there can be tax complications if swapping becomes systematic or business-related, as SKAT may still treat exchanged goods and services as taxable income.

💶 The European Central Bank kept its key interest rate unchanged at 2% for the seventh meeting in a row, despite inflation in the eurozone rising to 3%. Economists expect rate hikes later this year, especially as higher oil prices continue pushing up costs across Europe. For us, this could eventually mean more expensive mortgages and loans again, although experts disagree on whether raising rates could risk slowing the economy too much. Several major banks expect the first increase could already come this summer.

State of the markets

✍️ Writing schools and creative writing courses are booming, giving aspiring authors far more options than the once-dominant state-run Forfatterskolen in Copenhagen. New schools have appeared in cities like Aalborg, Aarhus, Odense, and Næstved, while small independent publishers are also multiplying. Experts welcome the growing diversity in voices and backgrounds entering literature.

🤖 AI tools may save time at work, but researchers are now warning about a new phenomenon called “AI brain fry.” A recent study found that heavy AI users often experience mental fog, headaches, slower decision-making, and difficulty focusing. Workplace researchers say the issue is less about the technology itself and more about how intensively it is used, with some workers feeling their professional pride and concentration slowly erode when AI handles too much of the creative process.

🚗 Tesla drivers in Denmark may soon be allowed to use the company’s “self-driving with supervision” system after Dutch authorities approved the technology following extensive testing. If the EU gives broader approval later this year, Tesla cars in Denmark could gain the feature through a software update. Experts describe the experience as surprisingly relaxing, but stress that drivers must still stay fully alert at all times, as the system is considered advanced driver assistance rather than true self-driving.

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Community Noticeboard

🏡 Buying a Home in Denmark 📍 Online / International House Copenhagen | 🗓 Thursday May 7, 17:00–19:00 | Free English-language session covering the Danish property market, mortgages, and what internationals should know before buying a home. 🔗 Sign up here

🎪 Diplomatic Bazaar 2026 📍 Gentofte City Hall | 🗓 Saturday May 9, from 11:00 | Entry: 50 DKK Fourth edition of the international bazaar organized by the Ambassadors’ Spouses Group, featuring crafts, food, cultural performances, children’s activities, and representatives from more than 20 countries. Proceeds will support Kalaallit Meerartaat/Grønlandske Børn. 🔗 Read more here

🇩🇰 This is Denmark: Danish Culture and Traditions 📍 Online / International House Copenhagen | 🗓 Tuesday May 19, 16:30–17:30 | Free introduction to Danish culture, traditions, and everyday social norms for internationals living in Denmark. 🔗 Sign up here

➕ Hosting something relevant to internationals in Denmark? Send it to us at noticeboard@lwid.dk

Denmark in Global Headlines

🇬🇱 “Danish treatment of Greenlandic mother may be ‘ethnic discrimination’, says UN” – The Guardian

🪖 “Denmark to procure state-of-the-art Canadian assault rifle before Canada does” – National Post

🐋 “Rare discovery of ambergris on Denmark beach excites scientists and historians” – ABC News

🎡 “This year Copenhagen’s best dining experience is inside an amusement park” – Conde Nast Traveler